


Free the Free

by kdencayden



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: M/M, Rape Recovery, flangsty, fluffier as it goes along, is that a thing?, it is now., not a super graphic rape, not established mavin but they're more than friends, now complete!!!, now with smut, sorta angsty at points
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-08-12
Packaged: 2018-01-09 18:17:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1149251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kdencayden/pseuds/kdencayden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em> Oh, God. This is how I'm going to die, </em> Gavin thinks, <em> I'm going to be choked to death by this fucking barbarian as I'm split in half by the world's largest fucking cock. </em> Part of him hopes they'll find the Christmas presents he hid once the time comes.</p><p>Now with smut! Also with reworked chapters (the first three)! Now complete!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Free the Bad Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been reworked and I'm still so sorry

“Hey, Gavvy, we’re leaving now, are you ready to go?” Michael tips his head, looking in the Brit’s direction instead of at his straw, having to make a weird face as he searches for it with his tongue.

“Oh, no, not yet, Micoo. I’m-I’m checking up that babe!” He gestures to a girl at random, having never even given the woman a second glance.

Michael chuckles. “Heh. Alright, Gav. Good luck.” Patting Gavin’s shoulder, he stands. “If you need a ride later, let us know, yeah?”

“Course, Micoo. It’s too dangerous to just _walk_ home!”

“I’m serious, Gav.” Michael leans down, levelling his eyes with the man.

“You’re also drunk as a skunk, Michael Jones.” Gavin waves his hand in front of his face, only being able to smell Michael’s alcohol tinted breath. “Go home!”

He watches the auburn-haired man leave, smiling faintly. As soon as he’s positive that his friends are gone, he climbs from his seat, brushing past people quickly, making his way into the street. “Okay, Gavin, let’s go…” He walks a few blocks, keeping one hand up, to shield his face from anyone who may know him, as he makes his way through the bouncer of the club.

The club is significantly different than the one he had just left, and Gavin breathes a sigh of relief. “Finally.” He takes a seat at the bar, smiling at the bartender.

“Heeeello, beautiful.” A drag queen comes up to Gavin, draping her arm over his shoulder. “We’ve missed you here.”

“I came back as soon as I could! Getting away from work has been hell!” Gavin chirps. The bartender, a man Gavin knows to be named Devin, brings him his usual drink, shooting the man a wink.

“Well, maybe you should bring your work with you. We can’t keep going this long without our favourite little tea-drinker!”

“Chelsea, you know I can’t do that.” Gavin wrinkles his nose. He’s right, and he knows it. His friends would never understand why Gavin came here, and he certainly wasn’t about to tell them WHY he came to a gay bar.

“Why not? I’m sure your friends are plenty open-minded, and pleeeenty cute.” Chelsea pulls her arm from around Gavin. “But, if you’d rather suit yourself, just know that the cutie in the corner booth paid your tab from your last go around. He’s been here looking for you just about _EVERY_ night!”

“Really?” Unable to help himself, Gavin turns to the booth Chelsea mentioned, catching the eye of a brunet man. His cheeks pinken, seeing the man smile at him, and he raises his glass towards him, offering a smile in return.

“You should go talk to him, Gavin. Before I see if he’ll pay MY tab.” Chelsea laughs. “I’ll see you around, boo-boo.”

“Oh, of course, I wouldn’t _DREAM_ of staying away from you for too long!” Gavin grins, standing up and making his way to the corner booth. “Is this seat taken?”

“Oh, no, I’m here alone.” The brunet smiles at Gavin, a dazzling smile that Gavin nearly melts at the sight of. “It seems as though you are too.”

“Oh, yes… My friends already went home.” Gavin takes his seat, sipping from his drink. “I’m Gavin. I haven’t seen you around before… But it seems you’ve seen me.”

“I have, many times… My name is Rob.”

“Well, Rob... You seem to have some… pretty deep pockets.” Gavin chuckles, idly running his finger around the rim of his glass. “I run up quite a tab.”

“You’re worth more than what I spent.” Rob leans towards Gavin, looking him over appreciatively. “I’ll cover your tab for tonight too, if you’re interested, pretty thing.”

“Oh, well, I-“ Gavin turns red, unused to direct attention from a male. “That would be lovely, actually… Can I offer you some company in return?”

Rob nods, smile widening. They spend a little more time chatting, and Gavin imbibes SEVERAL drinks, most of which brought to him from the bar by Rob himself.

“Oh, Jesus… I don’t feel too well. I think I’m going to call my friend.” Gavin mumbles, rubbing his forehead.

“Nonsense. Let me drive you home.” Rob stands, half-pulling, half-guiding Gavin from his seat, walking him briskly across the bar.

“Wait, my coat!” Gavin turns back to their table, where his coat still lay, phone and wallet inside. “I need-“

“It’s warm out tonight, Gavin, I think you’ll be fine.” Rob assures the man, whose head is swimming. He barely registers Chelsea passing, but wonders when she had sprouted several extra arms. If Gavin had to guess, there were four more than there should be. Maybe five.

Gavin makes some sort of protesting noise, but its connotation is lost on both of them. “I don’t want-“

“Nonsense, pretty thing, you DO want. That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? You slip away from your Achievement Hunter friends and come to this place all on your own… Because you _WANT_.”

“How’d you know…” Gavin registers that he’s being pushed into a car, wondering what had happened to him, as his tolerance wasn’t normally this bad.

“It’s not every day Gavin Free comes into a gay bar, pretty thing. This time, I just happened to be prepared.”

\--

Gavin groans, fading in and out as he’s carried up a flight of stairs. His limbs are made out of lead, or possibly iron, refusing to cooperate with him. Rob sets him easily on a bed, more muscled than Gavin could ever hope to be. He tears Gavin’s shirt off, casting the torn fabric aside.

“Wait, I-“ Gavin shakes his head. “I don’t want to bone…”

“Oh, Gavin…” Rob brushes his hair back, kissing Gavin’s forehead and smiling. “When did you EVER think this was about what you wanted? You’re mine, pretty, pretty, Gavin, and that’s all that matters.”

“No!” Gavin, with a lot of difficulty, forces himself into a sitting position. “Don’t!”

“Shshsh… Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.” Rob pushes him back down. “Shshsh…” He shushes Gavin once more as the man begins to cry.

“I don’t _want_ this!” Gavin cries, the rest of his clothing forcibly removed from him. He shakes his head, really the only body part he has easy control over.

“You will.”

\--

Fingers, not covered in nearly enough lube, are working their way in and out of him, making Gavin sob, only half out of pain. He continues to shake his head, though it seems to have no effect on Rob. “Stop, please! Please, I-Michael….” Gavin makes a choked noise, his best friend’s name sliding out of his mouth without so much as a second thought.

“Oh, isn’t that sweet…” Rob leans forward, kissing Gavin’s tear stained cheeks. “You want your little Micoo, hm?”

“Please… Micoo…” Gavin whimpers, arching his back with a surprised noise as Rob finds his prostrate. “Don’t!”

“Why not? Is it ‘cause I’m not Michael? Maybe you should call _MY_ name, hm?”

“No! I won’t!” Gavin shakes his head vehemently. “I will _NEVER!”_

“Then I’m gonna have to ask you to stay quiet.” Rob’s hand wraps around Gavin’s throat, squeezing just enough for him to have to catch his breath. Fingers withdraw from him, and, before he can sigh in relief, they’re replaced with something bigger, _much_ bigger, making Gavin scream.

“STOP! STOP, PLEASE, THINK ABOUT THIS! YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THIS!”

“Oh, sweet little Gavin… I _HAVE_ thought about this. I’ve thought about nothing _BUT_ this, taking you home, making love to you, making you mine.”

“I’ll-I’ll never be yours!” Gavin starts to cry again, coughing as Rob squeezes his throat tighter.

“You _ARE_ mine.” Rob hisses. “You’re _NOT_ Michael’s, unless you’re a little _slut._ Are you, Gavin? Are you my little slut?”

“No!” Gavin whines, limply bringing his hands up to push at Rob. It doesn’t do much good, as he still feels as though he’s wading through syrup. He screams outright as Rob begins to push harder into him, ripping his insides in all sorts of unpleasant ways. “Michael! Michael please!” He shouts his friend’s name, hoping that the redhead can hear him, even though he’s at home, probably asleep in his bed.

The grip on his throat tightens, making the Brit cough, gasping in an attempt to get any air that he can. His vision begins to spot, and he manages to claw Rob’s cheek, drawing blood, before his hand drops once more, useless.

_This is how I’m going to die,_ Gavin finds himself thinking, vision going black, _I’m going to be choked to death by a crazy fan, as he splits me in half with the world’s largest bloody cock._ Part of him hopes they’ll find the Christmas presents hidden in his closet when the time comes. He makes a gurgling noise, which may have been another attempt to call out for Michael, before everything goes dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on tumblr and sin with me: trashkingsupreme.tumblr.com


	2. Free the Hospital

When he finally comes to, taking a sharp breath, everything is white. He squints at the brightness, raising one hand to shield his eyes. _Is this Heaven?_ He wonders, _who made such an awful mistake that **I** made it into Heaven? _

“Oh, thank God, you’re awake.” Michael breathes a sigh of relief. “I’m going to call Geoff right now.” He pulls his phone out, dialing the man’s number.

“Michael?” Gavin looks confused, looking around the room. “What’s… What’s going on? Where… Where are we?”

“We’re… we’re at the hospital, Gav… You…” Michael breaks off, taking Gavin’s hand in his and kissing the man’s fingertips. “I’m gonna call Geoff.” He lets Gavin’s hand fall into his lap, but makes no move to let it go.

Gavin isn’t sure whether he wants to laugh or cry. He hasn’t died, even though most of him wishes he had. Things are blurry, fuzzy even, but clear enough that Gavin gets the gist.

He must’ve spaced out, because, after what feels like only a moment, he blinks, and Geoff is there.

“Gavin! Thank FUCK!” Geoff wipes his face, sniffling. “Don’t you ever scare me like that again, you hear me!”

“I scared you?” Gavin looks confused, which seems to be becoming his default expression.

“Fuck yeah, you did! They… they found you on the sidewalk… Just… laying… You were barely breathing, Gav… And you’re all bruised up…” He frowns, petting Gavin’s hair. “What _HAPPENED_  to you? You were gone for _DAYS_!”

“Days?!” Gavin sits up, wincing in pain. “What?!”

“We… we thought that you were dead, Gavino…” Michael chimes in, looking down at the ground. “And then, then they found you… And it was…” He didn’t meet Gavin’s eyes, steeling himself. “It was fucked up and awful.”

“Agreed.” Geoff nods. “You scared the crap out of all of us.” He leans forward, hugging Gavin carefully, maneuvering around his IV. “The police are gonna wanna talk to you.”

“I don’t… I don’t really remember too much…” Gavin admits. “I went to this bar… And…” He focuses, remembering Chelsea, walking across the bar and taking a seat, smiling at a man and flirting for all he’s worth. “I flirted with someone… And then… I’m here.” He frowns.

Geoff tightens his hug, and although it hurts to be held, Gavin allows it to happen, eyes closed and tears wetting the man’s sleeve. “I’m so sorry, Geoff…”

“Woah, hey, buddy. Don’t be sorry. This isn’t your fault at all… Some… some guy… He took advantage of you. He _HURT_ you.”

Gavin cries harder, knowing now that everyone knows that he was with a man. He hadn’t wanted anyone to know, but now, they all did.

“Anything you need, you got. Just let me know, okay?” Geoff rubs Gavin’s back carefully, trying not to agitate any of the wounds. “I love you, buddy. Don’t you ever forget that. And don’t you _EVER_ scare me like that again!”

\--

Geoff has to go, at some point, but Michael never seems to. Whenever Gavin drifts off to fitful sleep, Michael’s there. When he wakes, screaming, Michael’s there. Michael’s there every time his stomach turns at the thought of food, and Michael’s there every time he tries to force the words of what had happened out to the police officers. He’d be pleased, if not for the horrid circumstances, that he was receiving so much of Michael’s time and energy.

He’s quite the opposite, however, the final time that the police officers come to ask Gavin what he remembers. He tells them everything, which, admittedly, isn’t much, and is startled when there’s a sniffling noise off to his left. He looks in the direction, where Michael is sat, seeing his friend crying, hot, angry tears with his fists clenched.

“Micoo?”

“I can’t… I can’t believe he would _DO_ that to you… You don’t deserve that!” Michael stands, looking at Gavin with wet eyes. “Don’t you _EVER_ believe you deserve that!” He storms from the room, going to talk to some of the nurses, presumably about Gavin’s release date.

The police officers excuse themselves, and Gavin makes a puzzled noise, catching sight of his jacket for the first time. He distinctly remembers not grabbing it, but he isn’t sure how it got there. He decides to not question it, pulling his phone from the pocket. He’s puzzling over the shocking amount of missed calls and texts as the phone rings once more.

“’ello?”

“B?” It’s Dan. Perhaps Gavin should have checked the caller ID. He’s not sure he’s feeling up to talking to his friend right now.

“Oh, hey, Dan! I wasn’t expecting to hear from you… I thought you’d be busy working!”

There’s a shuffling noise. “’m at work right now. Was too worried to focus. Michael called and told me what happened.”

“Oh.” Gavin’s face drops. “Did he, now?” He leans over, looking out to the hallway, where Michael looks up, catching his eyes and offering the Brit a smile over the paperwork he was filling out.

“Y’know…  Contrary to whatever… weird belief you’ve got going on… I _DO_ care about you… And I need you for way more than the Slo Mo Guys. I know you’re busy working… But I haven’t seen you in forever.”

Guilt hits Gavin, definitely not for the first time that night. “I… I know you care, Dan. I care about you too. I just-“ He rubs his forehead. “Look, as soon as I’m all healed, and the police are done talking to me, I’ll come visit you, okay? Just me and you, hanging out, no work.”

“Will your boyfriend be joining us?”

“My what?” Gavin makes a confused noise.

“Michael, B. He’s got it… pretty bad for you, actually. I kinda doubt he’ll wanna let you out of his sight.”

“Michael’s not my boyfriend, Dan, c’mon.” Gavin rolls his eyes, even though his friend can’t see him.

“Maybe not yet… but he sure wants to be.”

Gavin puzzles over that a moment, wondering what Dan could have possibly seen that he had missed, before widening his eyes, simultaneously recalling the thousands of shared glances, every smile Michael’s shot him, the look of adoration he keeps receiving, everything flooding back into him at once.

“Oh my god.” Even though he just meant to think it, Gavin belatedly realizes he’s said it out loud, as Dan continues to talk.

“Please tell me you’re not just now figuring this out, Gavin. Honestly… Don’t tell me you’ve let him pine over you for months when you can barely keep his name out of your mouth.”

But he had, he’d been crushing on Michael for ages, and had never told the man, afraid to come out of the closet. That was the whole reason he’d gone to that stupid pub, to meet a bloke who reminded him of Michael and to take him home, using him as a stupid substitute for something he could have really had all along.

“Oh my god, Gav.” Dan’s voice is softer. “You really didn’t know.”

“Dan-“ Gavin whimpers, tears falling. “I-This… This happened because I didn’t know…” He sniffles.

“Oh, fuck, Gav… Shit, I’m sorry… I have to go back to work… Are you gonna be okay?”

“Yes, B… I’ll be alright. We’ll talk soon, yeah?”

“Yeah, ‘course we will, B.” Dan’s voice has a smiling lilt to it before the man hangs up.

Michael had made his way back to Gavin’s side, hands full of papers. “Shit, you okay? Was that Dan?”

“Yeah…” Gavin wiped his face. “Do me a favour, Michael.”

“Yeah, anything.” Michael nodded.

“Take me home.” Gavin held his arm out.

“Sure thing, Gav, anything you need.” Michael aides the man to his feet.

Gavin only wished that he _knew_ what he needed.


	3. Free the Workday

When he wakes up, Michael's already gone, left for work. He's left a note on his pillow though, presumably for Gavin. 

_Gav -  
okay numbnuts, i'm at work. Stay here and relax. Seriously, just go lose some video games. No fucking work. Pizza's in the fridge, you know when i get off. -M _

He checks the clock. Almost lunch time. Maybe he'll go see Michael for lunch. That would be fun. Better than staying around Michael's apartment and being scared to break anything. 

Finding a stray green hoodie draped over the couch, he pulls it around himself. That's what he'll do, then. 

He barely makes it into the office before Michael is in his face. "I said stay at home. Did you forget how to fucking read?" 

"Please, Michael. I don't wanna be alone. I'll be totally quiet! You'll forget I'm even here!"

Michael narrows his eyes. "Totally fucking quiet. Stay on Ryan's couch. Don't move. Lay down. Seriously."

"I promise!" Gavin obediently sits on the couch, smiling at Michael. He unzips the hoodie, which he's now claimed for himself, draping it over his torso as a blanket and curling up on the couch. He feels someone smiling at him, and looks up to see none other than Michael himself. "What's wrong, Micoo? I'm laying and being quiet..." 

"Yeah, but your hair is a train-wreck. Here." A beanie is pressed over his fluffball of hair and adjusted slightly. Without even looking, he knows it's Michael's. The now beanieless ginger turns back to his desk, sliding on his Mogar hat and adjusting his glasses.

"God damn, Michael. Possessive much?" Jack enters, back from his lunch break. 

"Hm?" Michael's starting up some game, barely paying attention.

"Gavin's wearing your hoodie and your hat. Did you write your name on him too?" Michael's ears turn pink, his face reddening.

"Leave him alone, Jack.." Gavin slurs, voice laden with sleep. "The knob's just being a gent for once in his life." He feels warm and safe, and that makes it easy for him to want to take a kip. 

"Who's being a gent? Aw, Vav!" Ray's back as well. "You look so cute! When do I get my invite?" He shoves Michael's arm playfully. 

"Invite to what, Ray?" Michael's jaw is clenched, still pretending he's focused on the game. 

"To the Jones-Free wedding? I better be somebody's best man or I'm going to throw the cake on the ground and bodyslam it."

"We're not getting _fucking married,_ Ray. Can't a guy lend his best friend some fucking clothes, for fuck's sake? Come on!" Michael's gripping his controller tightly, beginning to turn red with anger. 

"Micoo, come have a kip with me. You seem stressed." Gavin opens his arms, much to the delight of Ray and Jack and Ryan, now back from his lunch. 

"Yeah Micoo, have a kip." Ray pushes his arm again. "You seem stressed."

"Fuck ALL OF YOU." But even as he says this, he slides out of his chair, laying on the couch and facing Gavin. "I'm going on a fucking break. Ray, I swear to god, if even one picture hits the Internet you are so dead."

"And I'll make Geoff fire you too." Gavin supplies, cuddling close to Michael, who wraps his arms around him. 

"But the S.S. Mavin needs fuel, or else it will sink!" Neither of them can see it, but they can hear Ray pouting. 

"No. Pictures." Michael growls, holding Gavin protectively to his chest. Ray sighs, and everyone returns to their work. 

Gavin's mostly asleep, and Michael's totally gone, once Geoff comes back. "Aw, lovebirds. Please tell me I didn't miss anything super big."

"Nope, they're just having a friendly nap. Nothing Mavin about it, as you can see." Ray sounds hazy, as Gavin's close to sleep. 

"God, maybe one of them will man up soon. I fucking hope, at least. There's gotta be over a thousand bucks in the pot for bets by now." Everyone murmurs agreements with Geoff, their conversation fading to a buzz as Gavin falls asleep. 

 

When Gavin wakes up, he's screaming. 

"What the fuck?!" Geoff is at his side. "Gavin, wake up, it's a nightmare!"

Gavin reaches forward to clutch at Michael, his heart dropping when that space is empty.

"I'll go get him, Vav!" Ray's off like a shot, running to find Michael. Gavin curls up, crying harder than he means to.

"It's okay, Gavin, I got you..." He feels a sturdy hand stroke his hair. Slightly nuzzling up into Geoff's hand, he looks around. Twin expressions of surprise on Ryan and Jack's faces, Geoff's worried eyes, Ray returning with exactly the person he needs.

"Jesus Christ, Gav. You okay? I went to get us some lunch. I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry." He's being held, the words murmured into his shoulder. 

"Nightmare, that's all... I'm sorry..." Gavin tries to stop shaking, but that only intensifies it, making Michael hold him a little tighter. 

"Let's call it an early day. We'll all come back and try again tomorrow." Geoff squeezes Gavin's shoulder in a way meant to be reassuring. "Griffon wants to see you for dinner, if that's alright, Gavvy. And yes, you can bring Michael."

Michael nods, behind him. "Thanks Geoff. I'll see how Gavin's feeling and shoot you a text to let you know."

 

Everyone gives him a sad smile as they go home. Ray even goes so far to squeeze his hand, pressing a yellow starburst into it. Gavin's favourite. Ray's a gem. 

When he feels calm enough, he slides out of Michael's lap. "You gonna be okay, boi?" Michael's hand trails down his back, hesitant to break the contact. 

"Yes, Micoo, I'll be quite alright. Can we go home now?" 

"Course, Gav. We'll go home and maybe play a game, then hit your house for dinner. Sound good?" Both standing, Gavin slides his hand into Michael's, smiling when Michael's fist closes around his.

"Sounds great, Michael. Let's go."


	4. Free the Ramseys

Predictably, Michael kicks Gavin's ass at every game they play. Gavin's not mad though, he knew it was going to happen. He just finds how frustrated Michael gets to be funny. 

"What the-What the FUCK is that thing!" Michael rapidly presses buttons, shooting at the new enemy. "Gavin, come help me, Jesus!" 

Gavin laughs openly when Michael quits the game. "Micoo, he's called "the invincible" for a reason."

"Yeah, well, he should be called Terramorphous the cocksucker! I'm getting a drink. Bev for Gavin?" Michael cocks his head, looking at him. 

"Have I ever been known to turn down a bev, Micoo?"

"True. Fucking alcoholic." Michael pats his knee, smiling and going for the bevs. "Turn on some music or something, it's too quiet."

This is one of Gavin's favourite pastimes. He absolutely loves creating channels on Michael's Pandora of the stupidest and cheesiest music he can find. It's backfired a few times, with Michael actually liking the band, but mostly it just annoys his boi to no end. When he turns on Pandora, he sees all of the channels he's made are still there. _How sweet! He kept them all._

Within seconds, a song starts playing. This song has already been given a thumbs up, Gavin notices. How often does Michael listen to Ed Sheeran?

Michael returns, singing the song quietly. He hands Gavin his bev, setting his own on the table. 

"Going to serenade me, Micoo?" This makes his ears turn pink, but Michael sort of shrugs, swaying his hips slowly. His singing gets a bit louder. "And your heart's against my chest, your lips pressed to my neck. I'm falling for your eyes," at this point, he's looking straight into Gavin's eyes, making him blush, "but they don't know me yet. And with this feeling I'll forget, I'm in love, now."

Gavin takes a big swig for strength, and sets his bev down, standing up. Michael's still slowly dancing, singing along with the song, asking Gavin to kiss him. Jesus Christ, does Gavin want to. He takes Michael's hips in his hands, tugging him a bit closer. To his credit, Michael doesn't falter, still singing. 

"Settle down with me.. And I'll be your safety, and you'll be my baby.." They're looking into each other's eyes. Gavin pretends not to notice Michael switching the female term for a neutral one. 

Michael trails off, wetting his lips. They stare at each other a long moment. "Gavin..? I, um.. Dinner?" 

"Yeah.." Gavin lets go of his hips, the moment broken. The song ends, and Michael shuts it off. Gavin downs the rest of his drink so fast he knows he's going to get hiccups, completely ignoring the doctor's orders of no drinking. 

They don't say much on the way to the Ramsey's house. It's not awkward, even though Gavin feels it should be. Instead, he keeps his arm on the middle rest, Michael's hand on his, letting the Jersey boy gently squeeze his fingers.

"GavvyGavvyGav!" It's almost as if Millie knew they were there, she appears right on cue, excited and ready to show Gavin all he's missed in the time he's been gone. Michael shoots him a pitying smile, being taken to the back deck by Geoff. 

\- 

It's one of the last nights in summer, and the air feels good on Michael's skin. He's hoodieless, and hatless, as he abandoned the Mogar hat in the car, even attempting to run a comb through his mop of curls. He's sure one or two of the teeth are still in there somewhere. 

Geoff's taking advantage of the warm night, using it as an excuse to grill their dinner. "You know why I brought you back here, right Michael?"

"Cause you missed my face, and like my company?" Geoff chuckles. 

"You wish. We need to talk about Gavin." _Oh, shit._ It's a well-known fact that Gavin is the fourth Ramsey, that Geoff considers him as close family as anyone related by blood. "You like Gavin, right?"

"Yeah, course I like Gav, he's my best friend."

The look Geoff gives him is priceless. "I might be an alcoholic, but I'm not an idiot. You love Gavin. More than you ever loved that girl. You can't even try to deny it." 

That girl is Lindsay, and she's a very sore topic. Why did her new job have to take her so far away? They'd tried for a long distance relationship, but she worked when he had off, or the other way around, and they just couldn't make it work. It had been mutual, yes, but that didn't make it sting any less. At least she was happy with her new job, her dream job. 

"I guess you're right. So what? I love Gavin. Shocker of the year. He's dating Dan, isn't he?"

Beer almost comes out Geoff's nose. "Gavin and DAN? You're kidding, right? Dude, they're best friends. They could never date. Like, ever. Gavin likes you anyways, fuckhead. Always has. Jesus, are you retarded?" 

"I'm not fucking retarded, Geoff. You're just fucking with me, knock it off." Geoff just shakes his head, tending to the grill. 

"You'll figure it out eventually. Don't say I didn't tell you so. Now go find those idiots, dinner's almost ready."

Michael rolls his eyes, walking through the back door to look for the rest of the Ramseys, 'those idiots' that Geoff referred to. Griffon isn't too hard to find, she even helpfully directs him towards where he can find the other two. 

He can tell it's Gavin's room just by the mess. He hasn't been here too many times before, only for parties the Ramseys throw. Usually, Gavin comes over to his house to hang out. There's pictures absolutely everywhere, drawings of Millie's, fan sent things, and plenty of pictures of Gavin's friends. Laughingly enough, there's a framed picture of Dan on Gavin's bedside. Earlier, Michael would have immediately discounted it as a picture of the long-distance boyfriend, but now, he paused to consider that perhaps Gavin just missed his best friend, given the thousands of miles between them. 

His bed is rumpled, a polo sticking half out from under the sheets. Two xbox controllers are plugged into the charging ports, even though the xbox is on. A closet remains half-open, surprisingly organised compared to the rest of the room. Michael makes a guess that Griffon puts away Gavin's laundry. The whole room gives off a feel of a man in a hurry to get someplace else. 

Behind him, he hears noise. Gavin's room is empty, despite the parts of himself he's infused everywhere. He trails the noise down the hall, to Millie's room, where she's excitedly acting out something that happened to her at school. Gavin looks up at him with a faint smile. "Time to eat?" 

Michael nods, not trusting himself to speak. How could something as stupid as a smile take his breath away? He wasn't a teenage girl, for fuck's sake. 

Both the Ramsey and the Free head down the hall ahead of him, Millie still chattering away, Gavin giving appropriate responses of 'wow' and 'really?' every so often. They take a seat at the dinner table, and Michael's first up close and personal Ramsey family meal begins. 

He'd have figured he'd feel unwelcome, like he was intruding, but all four of them all make him feel included. It's as if he'd simply come home after a long day out. 

After eating, Millie makes her way to the back to play in the yard, followed by Gavin with bevs for them all. Michael really really has to pee though, so he heads the opposite direction to the bathroom. 

Geoff intercepts him in the hall on the way back. "We got interrupted earlier by food. Let me finish my thought." Geoff's hand on Michael's chest feels sturdy enough, anchoring him in place in the too-small hallway. "If you _ever_ harm one hair on Gavin David Free's head, and I mean any harm at all, discounting your playful rough-housing whatever, I'm going to make life very hard for you. A certain team of gents might kill you, and I don't mean in Minecraft." He slaps Michael's chest and smiles. "But don't worry about it, yeah?" 

With wide eyes, Michael nods. Geoff just, in complete seriousness, threatened his life. His _REAL_ life. If it were anyone else, he might laugh it off, maybe even fight back fearlessly as usual, but this is Geoff. Fuck, _AND_ Jack and Ryan. What the fuck has Michael gotten himself into?


	5. Free the Guru X-Ray

Every day had fallen into something close to a pattern. It'd been a week since that horrible, unspeakable day for Gavin, and he's gotten into a routine he rather likes. 

\- Wake up at the alarm from a nightmare you can't remember  
\- Untangle your various limbs from Michael's various limbs  
\- Spend 1-5 secret minutes watching Michael sleep and marveling over how cute he looks (Oh, Micoo, I wish I could take a picture of you without you killing me)  
\- Take a shower and make every attempt to leave hot water for Michael (if the urge to sing Bohemian Rhapsody should strike you, ignore it!)  
\- Somewhere around this point, fourfiveish snoozes later, Sleeping Beauty will drag himself out of bed, sleep-rumpled and muttering dirty things as he stumbles to his best friend, Mr. Keurig  
\- Drink coffee, a lot of coffee  
\- Begin daily campaign to convince Michael you are indeed well enough to work (I'm not glass, Micoo! Process can be sped up through pleading, whining, sulking, and sticking your lower lip out obscenely while making the best Puss-in-Boots shiny eyes you can manage)  
\- Successfully woo Michael through utter adorableness, and dress while he showers  
\- Practice sitting without wincing (The pain is a lot less, but if you wince, Michael will definitely send you back to bed. What a pain!)  
\- Excitedly prance around, gabbing circles around Michael with sheer joy to be alive (and possibly the six cups of coffee that were definitely a bad idea)  
\- Make it to work, narrowly escaping being murdered by your own best friend  
\- Work! <3 Do things you love with people you love , recording just about everything and generally being silly  
\- Lunch, usually with the whole AH crew, and sometimes even Jordan (Do NOT eat spicy, you know you can't handle spicy, don't do it! Not even to steal a bite from Michael!)  
\- Back to work, awesome!  
\- After work plans, usually some bevs, or a hangout with your lads  
\- Dinner at the Ramsey's (Do not be late and do not get piss-pot drunk before you go over, you tosser!)  
\- Hang out with your family for a while, having some more bevs and maybe even getting drunk  
\- Back to Michael's (he finally let you bring over some of your stuff, so it feels more like home, plus it's like moving in through osmosis)  
\- On Fridays, there's the weekly Team Lads sleepover (To your knowledge, there's no Team Gents sleepover, but that would be so awesome!)  
\- Wait 'til at least 1 AM to skype Dan, he's asleep before that  
\- Stay up late playing video games with your best friends before eventually passing out on the couch  
\- Somehow wake up in Michael's bed the next morning, and repeat! 

There's an alarm on his phone to remind him of it. The almost daily Skype call to his absolute best friend, Dan the Man. Gavin excuses himself from the game he was losing anyways, leaving Michael alone to fend off the reigning champion, Ray. 

-

Michael didn't realise he was grimacing at Gavin's retreating back until Ray snorts. "Jealous, Jones?"

The idea is very possible, but Michael scoffs as if it's preposterous. "Yeah, right. Totally." He'd told Ray long ago about liking Gavin, on one of their many adventures around town. 

"No reason to be jealous of Dan, everyone knows it's totally platonic unless Gavin suddenly goes cross-eyed." At that, Ray takes a sip of his Mountain Dew, sticking firmly to his sober rule. "Not that getting Gavin would be particularly hard. You know what you have to do, right?" 

"Uh, no? If I knew what the fuck to do, Ray, I would have already done it."

Ray rolls his eyes, as if the answer is obvious. "You gotta free the Free." 

"Free the Free? What the absolute fuck does that mean?" 

Again, he gets another eye roll. "Well, Gavin's like, trapped, ya know? He can't be with anyone cause of that fuckwit who hurt him. So you need to go in and free him, that way he can be with who he wants to, and as we have previously found out, is someone with a dick and not boobs."

Everyone had sort of played down the revelation that Gavin liked dudes, in light of their way of finding out. Ray himself had actually had to make his way to that gay bar to retrieve Gavin's jacket and cell phone, where he had totally awkwardly found out that A. Gavin was a frequent customer, and B. If he ever decided to explore the world of dicks, it wouldn't be that hard for him to find someone interested. 

"So just find a way to free him from that douche's grip, and he'll be so thankful, you never know..." Ray knew. Ray knew fully well. He'd been told both sides of the story, and he'd written it all down in a blog, to be published when the Mavin ship made its maiden voyage. He couldn't wait. 

"Jesus fuck, you're right. That stupid fucking tagline makes perfect sense. Free the Free. It's perfect. How the fuck do I do it?"

If Ray's eyes roll any more, they're going to roll right out of his head. After Michael gouges them out with his beer bottle, that is. "I can only be so much oh-mystical-mage-relationship-guru-X-Ray in one sitting, otherwise my head will explode. Plus..." He gestures off in the direction Gavin went, where they can hear Gavin squealing his goodbyes to the other British man. 

Sure enough, he plops himself between Michael and Ray, beaming. "What's got you all wound up?" Ray asks, Michael nodding slightly and standing to change out the abandoned game for a movie. 

"Dan's coming for a visit! I told him I would visit him, but now he's visiting me, and I'm so excited! I can't wait to show him absolutely everything about Austin and introduce him to everyone at Roosterteeth, this is going to be so cool! Oh, Michael! Can he stay here with me and you, please? Do you mind? Pleasepleaseplease..." Gavin sticks out his lower lip in a way he's fully aware Michael can't resist.

Michael's helpless expression makes Ray feel the slightest bit of pity for his friend. "There's no room here, Gav. But hey, he can stay with me!" The words tumble out without a second thought, making Gavin beam brighter.

"Thank you, Ray!" Over his bone-crushing hug, Michael and Ray meet eyes, sharing one thought. _We're so screwed._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also known as: The chapter where Ray says the thing.


	6. Free the #Man

Michael made up excuses to not have to be the one to pick up the Brit. He had a doctor's appointment for his cat that needed shampooing right after he returned some video tapes to his dead cousin's brother's uncle's wife's son. He had even gone so far as to pay Geoff to take Gavin to pick up Dan. This was one reunion he really didn't want to see. 

The older man had shrugged, saying he probably would have done it for free, leaving Michael to sulk at Ray's house. His Puerto-Rican friend had cleaned, for some reason, and there was even alcohol in the fridge. Ray had gone out of his way to make sure Dan would be comfortable while he was here, and that made Michael even more upset. He supposed he was going to spend all of the week Dan was staying inside the other man's shadow, eclipsed by the better man to his own friends. 

He could hear Gavin's happy chatter before the door was opened, revealing an exasperated Geoff holding two bags. Geoff dropped the bags, taking Michael's half-finished beer and downing it. "He hasn't stopped talking." 

There was an awkward moment as Dan looked around, meeting Ray's eyes. There was a shy wave and a nod and hm, Michael would have to ask Ray more in depth about Dan later. This moment was lost on Gavin, who pulled Michael to be face-to-chest with the bigger man. "Micoo, Dan. B, Michael." The brunette offered his hand, which Michael very grudgingly shook. He had to bite back every urge to say something rude. 

"B talks about you a lot. Nice to meet ya, M'kill." The way Dan's accent butchers Michael's name is not nearly as pleasant sounding as Gavin's. 

"You too. This is Ray." He jerks a thumb over his shoulder at his friend, who's being oddly quiet. 

Ray waves again. 

"'Ello, Ray. You're my host?"

"I, uh, heh. Yeah. It's not much, but there's space enough. Only one bed though." Suddenly, Ray goes red. "But, you, ah, couch... not, with... Michael, help." 

Geoff snorts, finishing his second beer. "Gav, show Dan the bathroom so he can wash up before we go out. We'll fix Ray." The two Brits make their way down the hall. "Well, well, well. If I haven't seen two sorrier pieces of shit in my life. You guys are gay as dicks, dude." Ray makes a move to protest. "Save it, dude. I'll give the two of you some advice. You," he points to Michael, "Get that jealousy stick out of your ass. Dan's a nice dude. And you," He turns his finger towards Ray. "Try to learn how to talk or just don't talk at all. You're embarrassing yourself." 

With his fatherly advice out in the open, Geoff helped himself to another drink. Ray and Michael exchanged a glance. Gavin could be heard talking at Dan through the bathroom door. 

It was going to be a long week. 

-

A bunch of others had been recruited by Geoff to attend a welcome party for Dan. Almost every Texan Michael knew was there, chatting around and having fun. Michael stood off the side, trying hard to appear aloof. He watched Jordan chat up a girl with disinterest, studiously ignoring the din involving he-who-shall-not-be-named. 

"This fucking sucks." Ray's voice made him jump, turning slightly to look at his approaching friend. A napkin was carefully wrapped around a drink, concealing its non-alcoholic label (Ray had started to just avoid the questions) while also keeping the condensation off his hand. 

"It does. Fuck." Michael turned his head towards the Brits, allowing his features to settle sadly. He'd smother these feelings in anger if they were addressed, but he could let them lay, raw and unchecked, in the meantime. 

"How do you manage?" The question caught Michael off guard. 

"Manage what?" 

"Wanting a dude to fuck your brains out."

Well, that was straightforward. "Uh. I try not to think about it too much. Plus, I'd be fucking Gavin's brains out, ya know?" Ray met his half-smirk with one of his own. 

"So you admit you think about sex with Gavin?"

"When have I ever tried to hide that fact? Do you admit you think about sex with Dan?"

"Okay, okay." Ray took a sip of his drink. "You caught me there. I sometimes let myself think about it. Like, it used to be just in passing, like I'd see the Slo Mo stuff and I would just, yeah. But now he's here..." He adjusts his glasses, looking at the ground. "I'll be a walking boner by the end of the week."

Michael had definitely been there. He set his hand on Ray's shoulder in a way he construed as reassuring. "It's alright, Ray. We'll figure this gay shit out together."

"Wot gay shit, Micoo?" Gavin, Dan in tow, stood in front of them, eyes wide as he caught them in all their dick-wanting glory. 

Ray let out a noise close to a sob, eyes fearfully wide and a bit teary. He dropped his drink and promptly turned tail, disappearing into the crowd. "Ray, wait!" Michael knew better than to try to stop his friend. Poor kid was already struggling with his sexuality privately, he didn't need to drag his issues out in front of everyone. "You got some shitty timing, you know that, Gav?"

Gavin looked utterly confused. "Micoo? Were you... were you asking Ray on a date?" He took a step back into Dan's chest, trying not to collapse into tears. 

"What? No! Ray and I are just friends, Gav. Seriously. We're just having private issues, thats it. Its nothing life-changing." Well, mostly not. 

"Okay... Sorry for being a minge and jumping to gay like that. It just sounded bloody awkward to come up on." Dan nodded his agreement. 

Michael felt the first needles of anger prick at him. Why the hell was Gavin so dense? He could paint himself rainbow and have a gay orgy in front of Gavin, and his stupid friend would probably still ask him if he was bicurious. He'd done everything under the sun to try to show him, he'd been there and held him and put up with every stupid question and joke and nonsensical word and-

He didn't register his fist flying until it had whacked Gavin solidly in the jaw.


	7. Free the Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry. Okay so like. Heh. Uh. I'll get writing right away oh jesus.

Gavin recoiled back, holding his jaw. Everything seemed to freeze. His eyes filled with tears. Was this emotional pain or physical? Did his jaw hurt, or did his heart? Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Michael staring dumbly at his fist, surprised by his own actions. Everyone was watching him, watching Gavin get shepherded away by Geoff and Dan, whispering about that crazy Rage Quit boy who's had too much to drink. 

Gavin was embarrassed, really. Even as Geoff made him pout so he could dab at his split lip with a wet paper towel, he was embarrassed. What had he missed? He'd thought the little fluffball sheep were all in a row, that things were perfect. He knew he had a tendency to overlook extremely obvious things, but he'd thought he'd seen every angle his situation with Michael could be turned. And a right hook to the jaw was not one of them. How could he have been so wrong?

-

Michael walked to the convenience store close to Geoff's house. His hands shook uncontrollably, to the point that the clerk behind the counter gave him a free lighter, thinking he was too desperate for nicotine to get his own. He fumbled with the lighter, emblazoned with the Texas flag, as he lit a Marlboro. He hadn't smoked since the ninth grade, when he'd gotten onto his anxiety medication, and the nicotine burned his lungs fiercely. But he suffered on, methodically working his way through three cigarettes as he walked home. He needed to let out this aggression before he hurt someone else... Maybe he would record something. 

By three am, when there was a knock on the door, Michael had recorded a whopping six Rage Quits, and he felt utterly drained. He couldn't wait to collapse into bed and sleep for 48 or so hours. He'd wake up and deal with a stack of noise complaints a mile long before heading into the office to turn in his work. _It has come to our attention that you need to shut the FUCK up, Mr. Jones._

Maybe if he let them knock long enough, they'd go away. _Michael can't come to the door right now, he's too busy contemplating the contents of his ash tray._

"Michael, answer the door. I know you're there." That was definitely a voice he wasn't expecting. He took another drag off his cigarette, crossing to the door and opening it. 

Much to the British man's disgust and Michael's delight, he blew his smoke directly into Dan's face. Dan didn't visibly react, besides a slight grimace, instead letting himself in and turning to face Michael. 

"You hit Gavin."

"Yeah." Michael's voice was hoarse from rage and smoke.

"You're mad at him cause he can't see how much you like him?" Dan apparently had Michael pegged down.

"Mhmm." He let his cigarette hang from his lip, letting it run down to ash. Tomorrow he'd buy some gum or something. 

"You know he likes you too, right? You're literally all he ever talks about when we get the chance to talk. Oh, Michael did this, we played this game, here's what he said to me in the Let's Play that I edited out and saved to my secret Michael folder. I had this dream about him where we did this. He's a one-track record, and the song is Michael Jones."

"Gavin has a secret Michael folder? What?"

Dan rolls his eyes. "I'm telling you he's in love with you and considers you his god damn safety, and you care about the Michael folder? You really are meant for B."

The pieces fall into line at that point. He can see everything as clearly as if he'd come to the conclusion himself. He loved Gavin, Gavin loved him, and they were both fucking retarded for each other. 

"Oh." What a wordsmith Michael was. They should give him a medal for most eloquent speech pattern. The award for best conversationalist goes to Michael Jones, for his stunning "Oh" in the face of love. 

"Yeah. Oh. Will you please just go talk to him? He's at the office crying his eyes out cause he thinks you hate him and he doesn't remember how to function without you. Hell, he's probably looking through the Michael folder. Just please go talk to him. I'd like to enjoy my vacation."

"Yeah. I'll go right now. Well," he looks over his rumpled clothing. "Maybe not now." 

"He's not gonna care. Honestly. Maybe just brush your teeth, that smoke smell is horrendous."

"Oh. Yeah." The medal was in the mail, he's sure of it. 

"In the meantime, do you think Ray's home? I need to talk to him."

"Um, maybe not, but I can give you another idea on where he is. You know he has a crush on you, right?"

"M'kill. Gavin knows Ray has a crush on me." 

"That obvious, hm?"

"Well I figured it out about five seconds after meeting him, so yes, I suppose it is. Do you wanna give me that location now? I'd kinda like to get to him."

-

The light in the Achievement Hunter office was on when Gavin got there, oddly enough. Someone had probably just forgotten to turn it off. He sat at his desk, taking a deep breath and basking in the familiarity of it all. 

"Well, well, well. Aren't you a sight for sore eyes? Pretty little thing like you shouldn't go places at night alone." 

"Michael?" Gavin looked around. "Michael, this isn't funny."

"There's that name again. I told you not to call me that." A hand clamps down on his his shoulder, and with sudden realization, Gavin begins to scream.


	8. Free the Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I stayed up to finish this for you guys please like it ;-; (not entirely untrue. I did stay up and I did finish it but insomnia was in there somewhere)
> 
> Anyways! This brings us to about two more chapters before Free the Free comes to a close and I can move on to one of my ever-growing list of other fanfics i'd like to write!

He's bent over his desk, that much he can tell. One of his arms is twisted behind him, the other crushed uselessly under his weight. His keyboard is against his cheek. He's kicking as much as he can, screaming, but the kicks don't seem to affect Rob, the fucking barbarian.

"I missed you, Gavin Free. Came here to just take some shit, but now you're here, so maybe I'll just take you." His words make Gavin whimper, stilling his attempts to kick the man in favour of trembling.

"Please, just leave me alone... I don't know why you picked me, but please..." His pants are roughly pushed down. Gavin twists his hips, hoping someone will come to his rescue.

"MICHAEL! MIC-" His head is brought up, and swiftly dropped against the desk. His ears begin to ring.

"You son of a bitch!" Someone else's voice joins the party. Rob pauses to turn around. Michael is outside the door, trying to open it. "I'm going to MURDER you!" Rob smiles.

"Who's that, Gavin?" He takes a rough handful of Gavin's hair, yanking his head back and turning his head to the door. "Your boyfriend?" A calloused hand makes its way over Gavin's ass, making a dry sob escape him.

There's a loud crash. "Yes, I am." Michael's broken down the door, startling Rob into releasing Gavin. Gavin scrambles for his pants, tugging them back up. There's fire burning in Michael's eyes, a dangerous man to be messing with. "I'm Michael. Nice to fucking meet you."

"Oh,  _you're_ Michael?" Rob looks him over and scoffs. "I could break you. Get out of here, kid." He reaches out, grabbing a handful of Gavin's hair, making the slender man squeal in pain. "Unless you wanna watch me make him scream your name again."

Michael's stance turns hostile, his jaw tightening. "Let him the fuck go. Get your gross fucking hands off him." Rob chuckles, running his hand over Gavin's chest. Gavin's frozen in fear, tears falling. "No? Alright then." He reaches behind his desk, picking up the joke bat he'd been given, an aluminum thing with the word Rage written on it, and swings.

-

"Micoo!" Gently, Gavin touches Michael's arm. The redhead turns to look at him, eyes still blazing.

"What, Gav? I'm fixing it." He punctuates his statement with another swing at Rob, by now a crumpled heap on the ground.

"Micoo, it's fixed! Please..." Michael keeps swinging, however, making Gavin desperate to make him stop before his little boi turns into a murderer. So he does the only thing he can think of, before he can talk himself out of it.

He grips Michael's shoulders, turning him to face the Brit, and kisses him.

There's a moment before Michael's brain registers what's happening, where the redhead is slackjawed against Gavin's lips, but soon enough, Michael  _gets it,_ and starts kissing him back with a tiny bit of force. The bat clanks to the ground, dropped in favour of the opportunity to hold Gavin close.

Michael's eyes are hazy, his lips kiss-swollen, and Gavin swears in that moment he's never loved the boy more. "I..." Michael clears his throat. "Gavin?"

"Yes, my little Michael?"

"Could you like, pinch me or something?"

Gavin giggles, reaching out and lightly pinching the man's upper arm.

"Thanks. I... Jesus cranberries, Gav."

"I know." Gavin smiles slightly. "Michael, we should call the gents. Before..." He looks meaningfully over Michael's shoulder, chewing his lip in slight worry.

"Yeah, you're right. You call Geoff. I'll keep an eye on this moron."

Gavin puts in a call to his tattooed father figure, holding the phone away from his ear as Geoff hollers about how he shouldn't have been alone anywhere. When he finally calmed down, Gavin asks him to come to the office, to which he only heard a yell of a few other names and a car starting. Gavin smiles.

The three gents arrive within minutes, Geoff shaking with anger as he sees the man Michael was currently sitting on. "You fucking bastard! How dare you apply for a goddamn job after you did that fucking shit?" He kicked Rob in the ribs, making the rapist grunt.

"Who applied for what?" Ray shows up behind the group, looking a bit too tousled to be casual. He holds the hand of Dan, who sports a nicely sized hickey and a cherry blush as he meets Gavin's eyes.

Geoff ignores the two. "This fuck was here for that intern day shit couple days ago. Tried to suck up to me to get a job." He kicks Rob again. "He's probably been fucking stalking Gavin!"

Dan bends down to look at Rob's face and sucks in a breath. "Gav, it's the guy from down the street."

Gavin was having trouble wrapping his head around everything. "What? What are you talking about?"

"The neighbor I told you about? He's out of town a lot. Must be here when you are."

Michael reaches down, shaking Rob awake. "Wake up you fuck. Have you been stalking my boi?"

Rob manages a weak smile, spitting blood onto Michael's shirt. "He's my boy."

Gavin takes a few steps back, trembling. How long had this psychopath been following him? Had he been to Gavin's house? Had he been  _INSIDE_ Gavin's house? He hit the wall, sliding down it.

Why him? Gavin considered himself pretty average. He liked to have fun with his American friends and shoot slow motion shots with his British ones. He wasn't particularly famous or model gorgeous or rich or anything but himself, and he'd attracted a stalker. A stalker who'd raped him, turned his whole life upside down, and still thought Gavin might wanna be with him? He just couldn't understand.

Ray appears out of the corner of his eye. "Hey, Gav. Come sit out here with me? The guys have to take care of some stuff." He looks up, seeing the gents, as well as his boi and his B, all tense and ready to fight. Ryan cracks his jaw once, Jack removes his glasses, and Ray guides Gavin to sit in a different room.

With one last look over his shoulder, he sees the once terrifying man, the man who'd haunted his dreams, give him a pleading look as Gavin's friends, no.... Gavin's family, surround him. "Wait, Ray. I need to do something."

Gavin doubles back, kneeling beside Rob. He swallows back his fear, trying to keep from shaking when the man shot him a hopeful smile.

The British man leans down, ignoring the odd expressions of his family, and put his lips close to Rob's ear.

"A pretty little thing like you shouldn't go places alone at night."

And with that, Gavin allows Michael to help him to his feet, turning on his heel and leaving the room, Ray in tow, not once looking back. He didn't need to.

He knew his family could handle it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think Michael's been pretty good, he deserves a little smut, and so do you! So watch out cause the rating may change next chapter and i'd hate for someone to lose the story that way.


	9. Free the Sex

Gavin ignored the noises he could hear from the office after the door had closed. Instead, he let Ray chatter on, their shoulders pressed together. 

"So I was like, practically crying, and sure as shit, I look up, and there's Dan and Jesus, everything just... It all started to make sense, ya know?" Ray shoots him a sideways glance, smiling.

"I kissed Michael." He's happy for Ray, really, he is, but his lips are still tingling, and as he re-wets them he can taste the redhead all over again, sour and alcoholic and addicting, just as Gavin thought he would taste.

"Dude! You what? Jesus, Gav, that's awesome! Almost as good as my story." Ray waggles his eyebrows, all jokes. "Guess I don't have to worry about you stealing Dan from me, yeah?"

Gavin finds it in himself to smile. "If you don't touch Micoo, I won't touch B." He sticks up his pinkie, a childish gesture he knows Ray appreciates. "Promise."

Ray smiles and they shake pinkies, knowing they have no reason to be jealous of each other. 

The door opens and they both look over, seeing the others emerge, Geoff on the phone. "Yes Burnie, I know, but we didn't exactly have a fucking choice. Can you help us or fucking not?" Dan brushes past the man, coming up to the two seated boys. 

"You don't have to worry anymore, B. We handled him. He won't bug you ever again." Gavin stands, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you." After a moment, he pries himself away.

"And you." Dan makes his way to Ray, the Puerto Rican looking up at him. "You're coming with me." He bends down, deftly slinging the protesting and red man over his shoulder, and starts to carry him away.

"Bye Gav, later Michael!" Ray waves, blushing deeply. "No calls!"

"Weirdest shit I ever saw." Gavin jumps at Geoff's voice, the man apparently having materialized behind him after his phone call ended. "You guys are all gay as dicks. You coming home with me, Gavino?"

"Um..." Over Geoff's shoulder, he can see Michael, violently making 'no' gestures. Jack watches the shorter man with a bemused smile, laughing. "No, I think I'll stay with Micoo for the night, but dinner tomorrow?" 

Geoff smiles. "Same time, same place. Don't be late!" He whips around, Michael barely stilling his motions in time. "Be gentle on him. You know what I mean. Come on, gents, I'll give you a ride back to your cars." 

Jack and Ryan follow Geoff out, each gently touching Gavin's shoulder and smiling at him, looking kind even whilst covered in a bit of blood. 

"And then, there were two..." Michael twirls a curl around his fingers, trying to appear nonchalant while stepping closer to Gavin.

"There's nothing wrong with just two." Gavin smiles, jerking his head towards the door. "Take me home?"

"I walked here, so we have to walk, but sure thing." Michael leads Gavin out the door, taking care to lock it behind him, before falling into place beside the brunette.

Gavin slides his hand into Michael's easily, as if he'd been doing it forever. Michael intertwines their fingers just as easy, trying not to grin like an idiot.

"So, Michael?" Gavin looks to the side once, in thought. Michael steels himself for the worst of conversations, a deep one about his emotions that he wasn't ready to have yet.

"Yeah?"

"What if they made the 'and' symbol cause someone had ants in their pants and started dragging their arse across the floor while yelling 'antantantant' and they thought he was saying 'and'?"

"The ampersand? Gavin, what... I don't... What the FUCK ARE YOU SMOKING?"

"Well, it looks like someone dragging their arse around, doesn't it?"

"It's a symbol, Gav; I haven't exactly stared at it!"

Gavin is giggling by the time they reach Michael's apartment, swinging his and Michael's hands as he waits for the door to be unlocked. Michael watches out of the corner of his eye, smiling as Gavin seems happier than he has in a while.

"Micoo, you're missing the lock completely!" Gavin giggles, pointing at Michael's hand. 

"Shut up!" Michael takes a deep breath, trying to steady his hand. "You're distracting, that's all."

This makes Gavin blush as FINALLY, Michael steadies enough to get his door open, practically throwing the door open. 

They stand in his entryway a moment, at a loss for what to do. 

"Do you think Dan and Ray are having sex right now?" Gavin asks, tilting his head slightly.

"Dan and Ray are DEFINITELY having sex right now."

"Well, we can't let them have all the fun, can we?" And suddenly, as soon as the British-tinted words leave his mouth, Gavin has Michael against the wall, kissing the air out of him.

Not one to be outdone, Michael slides his hand to grasp the back of Gavin's hair, holding their heads together. 

The kiss is feverish and rushed; too many emotions bottled up for too long all coming out at once. Somewhere along the way, Michael's shirt hits the floor, the new expanse of skin goosebumped in the cool air of his apartment. 

"We should head to the bedroom." Michael comments, gasping a bit to find his breath. 

"Definitely." 

They make their way slowly down the hall, stopping to keep kissing each other, and once to ditch Michael’s pants and shoes, which were definitely a hindrance. Gavin leaves his shoes with Michael's, their matching converse cuddling on the hallway floor, but he keeps his trousers, not yet ready to lose them yet.

“Michael.” Gavin tries, gasping. Michael hums in response, lips too busy with Gavin’s neck to form a coherent response. “Michael, please!” Gently, he pushes Michael’s chest, creating a slight space between him and the redhead.

“Gav?” Michael looks concerned and a little miffed, having been rejected. “You alright?”

“Yeah… I just… Can we… um…” Normally, Gavin is at no loss for words, whether they make sense or not. But this is Michael, and it is a crucial moment in their relationship. He has to think about how to word this to make them both happy. “Just, you know, sorta chill a bit? I do,” He puts his hands up as if to still Michael from walking away. “I do want to have sex, I do, honestly. But,” His voice gets quiet. “I’m scared, Micoo.”

Michael’s previously upset expression softens. “Oh, fuck. Yeah, we can, shit Gav, I honestly forgot. Fuck, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, my little Michael. I’m just in a bit of a tizzy, truth be told. This will all clear up with a bit of time, I’m sure.” Michael nods, as if he understands what a ‘tizzy’ actually is.

“Slower then. Okay. I can do slower. What do you want to do for slower?”

Gavin thinks a minute, humming in thought. “Michael, take your pants off."

"My pants are already off, dumb ass."

"Not your American pants, your English pants." For emphasis, he snaps the waistband of Michael's boxer-briefs.

"Ow, okay, okay. Will you take something off too?" Michael shimmies a bit, sliding his underwear down. He's now completely naked, while Gavin is fully clothed. "I can close my eyes if it makes you more comfortable. We could turn the light off; do this real romantic in the dark."

Hesitantly, Gavin slides his shirt up. It's Michael, he keeps telling himself, you love Michael, you want to be with him, he's seen you shirtless before. He tosses it on the ground beside him, taking a deep breath. Michael smiles appreciatively. "Can I touch?" He asks, reaching out for Gavin's chest, but not touching him. The brunette nods, closing his eyes. He feels first one warm hand, then two, roaming his chest slowly. His breath catches in his throat when one of them flicks over his nipple, causing it to backtrack and pay attention to it.

A kiss is pressed to his jaw. "Relax, Gav... Your jaw is clenched so tight, you could crack walnuts in there. I'm only touching your chest, nothing else, not 'til you say so." Gavin relaxes, letting out a breath he didn't remember holding.

Finally, he looks down at Michael's body. The layer of fat he'd grown to love has diminished, replaced by muscle. Michael has definitely been working out. A little intake of breath notifies him he's started tracing his hands over Michael's own chest. He drags his eyes back up to Michael's face, seeing his small dimpled smile. "It's okay, Gav. I'm not gonna break. And neither are you."

Michael's right, he's always right. He isn't going to break. He's been broken before, but that wasn't someone who loved him as much as Michael does. That was someone who used his body and broke his spirit.

Gavin finds his hands fumbling with his belt. They're shaking a bit, but Michael's smile lets him know he can take his time. He gets the stupid thing off, undoing his pants and sliding them down.

"Oh my fucking God, Gavin. What the hell are those?" His boxers are in question, a joke gift from Dan, emblazoned with the British flag, with the words "100% Pure British Beef" around the waistband.

"They're my pants?"

"They're, Jesus Christ, Gav. Do you wear those things often?"

Suddenly, Gavin's not sure if he ever wants to wear them again. He frowns. "Yes, I like them..."

Michael's laughter echoes in his ears, making his face flush crimson and his eyes fill with tears. He starts to tug his trousers back up, wondering if Geoff would come to pick him up at such a late hour.

"Woah, Gav!" Michael's noticed the tears; mentally kicking himself for thinking laughing was an appropriate response. "Shit, Gav, I'm sorry. Just..." He sets a hand on each of Gavin's forearms, stilling his motion. "I'm sorry. I wasn't laughing at you at all. Those boxers are just fucking adorable. I promise, I wasn't laughing at you."

Gavin looks up to meet Michael's eyes, his own blue-green shiny with tears, Michael's chocolatey brown glazed with worry. "Micool... This is really hard. Even without you laughing..."

"I know, Gav... Let me take care of you, okay?" He smiles and pats one of Gavin's cheeks. "I'll take good care of you, and next time won't be so hard." Gavin nods dumbly, blushing a bit.

“Okay, Micool. I trust you.” His grip on his pants is loosened considerably, and with a few open-mouthed urges from Michael, he steps out of them completely.

“Gavin, c’mon. I promised to take care of you…” Michael’s eyes hold filthy promises of all the ways he plans to ‘take care’ of Gavin. The brunette carefully removes his stupid boxers, tossing them aside carelessly. “Just lay back on the bed, okay? Get comfy. I gotta go get something.”

Nodding, Gavin lays back on the bed he’s been on so many times before, feeling the pain in his back that is the norm after being upright for so long. After a few twitchy moments, he’s fully relaxed, waiting on Michael’s return.

The Dynamite half of the duo makes his way back to the front door, quickly locking it up tight. He’s really not expecting anyone to burst in, but he sure as hell isn’t taking the chance. After that, he makes his way to his bathroom, grabbing the small bottle he’d hidden there after Gavin started to regularly stay at his house. A bottle of lube on the bedside is one way to start the morning with your freshly-traumatised best friend, but not the way Michael had wanted to spend it at the time.

Absently, Michael looks over his appearance, smoothing out a few errant curls and licking the pad of his thumb to wipe off the smudge of something suspiciously bloodlike on his forearm that he hadn’t noticed before.

“Michael?” Gavin’s slightly nervous tone tells him he needs to stop fucking around before he makes Gavin change his mind, again.

“Yeah, I’m coming.” Back in his bedroom, he sets aside the small bottle, not wanting its connotations to scare the British man. “We can stop any time you want, okay?” Gavin nods, but Michael needs to force these words to penetrate the man’s notably thick skull. “I’m serious, Gav. Not shitting. Tell me if you want to stop. Don’t worry about making me mad. I’ll just go jerk it or something, shit.”

“Michael, I understand.”

That out of the way, Michael’s famous short self-restraint at its end, he makes his way to sit on his knees between Gavin’s legs, which have to be spread more to accommodate him. Carefully, he sets his hand on Gavin’s thigh, smiling as the man does little more than jump at the cold touch. Almost imperceptibly, Gavin nods, not removing his eyes from the bridge of Michael’s glasses.

Michael eyes up his prize, which is not-quite-soft, and not nearly as small as Gavin, and others, always joke. Michael rolls his foreskin up and down slightly, unused to the extra skin, before his eyes are drawn to the tell-tale staple, which he’d heard about several times, never actually having laid eyes on it before. He runs a finger over it, making the Brit shiver, but not quite content with just the feel of it beneath his thumb. He leans down, puffing a gentle breath to alert Gavin, whose eyes are now closed tight, that his mouth is there.

Sticking his tongue out, he runs it up the length of the staple, making Gavin shiver again, his thighs trembling. Michael rubs one of them reassuringly, at the same time rolling back the foreskin completely, dropping his mouth to begin his task.

Whenever he’d thought of doing this before, he’d figured that Gavin would be loud, but his dick nearly jumped a mile when a slow bob of his head earned a long, low moan. “Oh, Michael…” Gavin sounded breathless already, the anticipation getting to him in the worst of ways. Encouraged by the sound, Michael upped the ante, speeding up to the tune of moans that were now practically pouring out of the Brit.

-

 _Jesus Kringle-fucking Christmas._ His breath is coming out in little gasps, his back arching. How the hell did Michael get so good at this? He makes a mental note to ask him, immediately forgetting as Michael's tongue does something wicked. “Mi-Michaelll…”

It’d been a while since the last time Gavin had even looked at his dick, and the thought that this was Michael, his precious boi Michael, who was now looking up at him, and Jesus. Michael’s face is tinged red with arousal, and the heat of his face has made his glasses steam up just a bit, something Gavin could have previously sworn only happened in anime.

Michael’s tongue peeks out, a quick pink swipe onto Gavin’s reddening head, before the smaller man’s face disappears back to his task of making Gavin fall apart.

“Miii-chael!” Coupled with a harsh arch of his back, Gavin effectively convinces Michael he’s ready for them to take things a little further. He reaches for his little bottle, holding it up to not alarm the Brit.

“I’m going to prepare you, Gav. Is that okay?” He’s already warming a slight bit of lube between his fingers. Michael’s not normally this considerate to someone, especially Gavin, and Gavin knows it.

“Yes…” Gavin sounds a bit unsure, but who can blame him? Gently, Michael presses his middle finger to the dip of Gavin’s ass, making the British man gasp.

“You’re okay, you’re okay.” Michael keeps reassuring him, slowly working his finger into the man, who’s trembling with the effort not to tense up. He freezes at the last knuckle, pressing kisses to Gavin’s thighs and hips, anywhere he can reach.

With a deep exhale, Gavin relaxes, putting his trust in Michael. The redhead begins to slowly move his finger, watching Gavin’s face for bad reactions.

Gavin wasn’t new to bottoming, something he wasn’t exactly ready to tell Michael. He wanted to hiss at the redhead to move faster, so it would give him something to moan about, pleasure to help him push through the fear, but his throat wouldn’t cooperate. Instead, he keeps his eyes on Michael, burning the image of his soon-to-be lover into his head. He can do this, if Michael helps him.

Very slowly, Michael stretches Gavin. He’s as careful as he can be, especially when he adds any more fingers. At three, he starts to relax a little, especially when a shift in his placement makes Gavin moan. He speeds up a bit after Gavin's fingers tangle into his hair, though his pace is still too slow for Gavin's liking. He wants to drown in sensation, to float away in an ocean of pleasure and _Michael._

"Don't tease me, Micoo!"

"Why not? That's your catchphrase, isn't it? Tease it?" Gavin shoots him a glare that could melt ice.

"Tease it, not me! Micoo!" Quickly, Gavin grabs his cheeks, crashing their lips together in a messy kiss. It hurts a bit as his lip is pinched between their teeth, but Michael turns his head slightly, and it gets a lot better. Every kiss sets Gavin on fire all over again, dousing the flames before stoking them up higher than before.

"Please... Michael... No teasing." And with that, he feels something new pressed against his hole. It's warmer than fingers, and definitely a lot bigger, but Gavin needs it, he needs Michael to erase that man, to make him whole again.

"Are you sure?" His hand reaches back, remembering the condom last minute, easily opening the package and sliding it on.

"Michael, if you do not start to properly bugger me, I am going to flip this around so you're underneath me." Gavin's tone sounds annoyed, but Michael laughs lightly, catching the Brit's lips in a kiss before easing into him. He keeps kissing, catching Gavin's groans and whimpers with his tongue, only pulling back once he's fully seated inside the smaller man.

"Fuck... You're... Fuck..." The redhead pants, face mussing up with the effort to be gentle. It's been just as long for him as it has been for Gavin, and embarrassing as it is, Michael wants to hurry this along before one of them is left unsatisfied. "Please, just say I can move... Please..." The words are murmurs, heavy tinted with the accent Gavin barely gets to hear anymore, the accent that Michael had killed and buried along with his old career.

The words catch in Gavin's throat, flashes of another day, another man, in front of his eyes, but he clings tightly to the tattoos on Michael's arms, nodding, lip bitten.

Michael rolls his hips in appreciation, again once Gavin makes a noise of approval. He has to stop himself from too much, too fast, but the pace he makes is good for the both of them, especially with Gavin having turned half-koala on him, clinging tightly.

"You okay?" Their eyes meet, and Gavin nods, whispering a 'yes' in return, before screwing his face up in pleasure, Michael's slight adjustments to the position having the effect he'd hoped for. One arm detaches from inked skin to reach at his crotch, at the neglected appendage, but Michael swats the hand away. "I said I'd take care of you, so let me take care of you." Michael's hand finds where Gavin's had aimed for, and though he hasn't ever dealt with a foreskin, he's surprisingly deft in properly stimulating it, evidenced by Gavin's arching back and panted breaths. 

"Michael, I-Michaaaaaah!" He tried to warn him, but instead tensed, making a noise half-pained as he hits his peak, riding out the orgasm with help from Michael's hand, though it stutters as Michael rides out his own high. 

Gavin goes limp, noodle-like, panting lightly. He did it. He fought through all of his fear, all the doubt, and came out relaxed, blissful in his fucked-out state, on the other side. He vaguely registers Michael pulling back, rummaging a moment as he presumably ditches the condom and wipes his hand clean. A tissue swipes at his chest lightly, then the bed shifts beside him, as Michael falls face first into the bed next to him, letting out a breath as he hits the bed. 

"Hey, Michael?"

"Yeah, Gav?"

"I love you."

"You might possibly be saying that because we just had sex, but I love you too. Moron." A tattooed arm slings over Gavin's waist, and Michael presses his side into Gavin's, peeking over at him with a smile.

"I'm not. I'll tell you tomorrow too." Gavin yawns, turning onto his side to face his lover. "And the next day, and the next day, and the next, forever and ever til I lose my voice or you go deaf and even then I'll write it down til you go blind or my fingers stop working and then I'll just kiss you so hard you'll feel my love and I'll do that forever and ever until we die and even in heaven or left behind on Earth I'll find ways to tell you that I love you cause it's true."

"You won't even remember that you promised me that in the morning and you know it." Michael turns in Gavin's direction, scoffing lightly.

"I will too! Look!" Sitting up, carefully, Gavin snags a sharpie from Michael's bedside, uncapping the marker and scrawling onto the back of his hand before holding it up for Michael to inspect. "'Love Michael everyday.' Now I won't forget."

"You are the biggest fucking dork. Now come cuddle me again, I'm tired."

"Yes, my little Michael! Of course!" Laying back, Gavin presses into the space in Michael's arms that's shaped suspiciously like him. He plucks Michael's glasses from his face, setting them aside, along with the marker. Michael twitches, but does little else, face already relaxing as he falls asleep.

"I love you, Michael..." Gavin curls in closer to the man, closing his eyes, relaxing fully, as he, for the first time in a while, knows that absolutely nothing can hurt him as long as Michael's got a hold on him.


	10. Free the Podcast

Burnie, or Matt, either, never breathed a word against what the Hunters did that night. When Gavin and Michael returned to work, there were new desks, the walls had been repainted, there was new carpeting, and above Michael’s desk was a case, holding the bat he had used. Squinting at the little plaque, Michael read it out to Gavin. “’Mighty Mogar’s trusty battle bat, Rage Happy.’ What a bunch of asses.” Gavin had just laughed.

Secretly, Gavin was happy that no one brought up Rob or what had become of him. He thought he really was better off not knowing whether his friends and boyfriend had killed the man, or if they had just sent a message. He didn't hear from him, and that was all that mattered.

He and Michael went on several double-dates with Dan and Ray, while Dan was still in America, and they spent a lot of time making sure Ray wasn't feeling lonely and left out after Dan had to return to his home. The combined efforts of the three friends ensured that Ray didn't get what Gavin colloquially referred to as "the sads," that Michael kept his anger in check, and that Gavin always had fun, that no one bothered him, and the drinks he had went straight from the bartender to his hands, no in betweens, and Michael was the only one who paid for them, aside from Gavin himself.

And if Gavin started to panic, feeling crowded, or seeing a close-to-familiar face, Ray quickly got him outside, Michael covered the tab, and they got him home before the tears could fall.

Months passed, and Gavin healed. His relationship with Michael was stronger than ever, especially after they had stopped tiptoeing around the subject, and Michael had handed Gavin several boxes, telling him to just move in already.

"Miiiiiichael, c'mon, we're gonna be late!" Fully dressed, Gavin hopped up onto their bed, jumping on his abandoned side in an attempt to wake his boyfriend up.

"No thanks." Michael murmured, pressing his face in closer to his pillow. "Let's just cancel Monday."

"Michael, we can't! We're on the podcast today, remember?"

"Mmm.." Michael swatted a hand in Gavin's direction. "That's not til later, let me sleep til then."

Eventually, through whining, pleading, and a little bit of bribery, Michael was out of bed, grudgingly tugging on the first shirt that was handed to him, the bigger of their two Vav shirts. He pulled jeans on, still mostly asleep, and left the button undone as he trudged to the kitchen, where Gavin had a cup of coffee fixed for him, with nearly the exact amount of cream and sugar that Michael preferred. There was a cup of tea on the table, a chair pulled out where Gavin had been sitting, and crumbs, from something he had eaten for breakfast.

The coffee wasn't hot, but was nicely warm, and Michael swallowed it easily, taking Gavin's vacated seat. "What's for breakfast?" He mumbled, looking over to the brunet, who went back to the counter, slicing Michael a piece of coffee cake, bringing it back to the older male on a napkin. "Hurry up and eat, love, we'll be late if you take too long." Michael waved the man off, taking another sip of coffee.

"I'm not hurrying, it's a Monday, I'm tired, I'm sore, and you kept me up way too fucking late."

Gavin blushed, looking sheepish. "I didn't mean to, I'm sorry!"

"Bullshit you didn't mean to! You're the one who," Michael did his Gavin voice at this point, "Oh, Micoo, let's watch a scary movie, c'mon Micoo, I wanna watch Silent Hill! It'll be fun!"

Gavin just smiled, snagging a bit of Michael's coffee cake and popping it into his mouth.

Not too long later, much to Michael's chagrin, they were pulling into the parking lot of the office.

They were the last to arrive, as per usual, and Michael offered no apologies, flopping into his seat.

Ray was busy recording, face cam on and all, so Gavin said nothing, waving from the back of the shot at the camera.

"Hey, Gav." Ray said, smiling, though he didn't look away from his screen, fingers still working the controller. "Nice of you to show up, finally."

"Blame Micoo!" Gavin laughed, crossing his arms. "He's the one who wanted to sleep the day away."

"Hey, he kept me up whimpering that Pyramid Head was going to get him!" Michael stuck his tongue out at Gavin, who stuck his tongue out back at the redhead.

Ray laughed, watching the chat for his livestream going crazy, comment after comment about Mavin. Suddenly, the stream went even crazier, flashing "Oh my god"s and "Holy crap!"s at Ray.

Gavin giggled, and Ray turned, eyes widening at the door. The man he'd seen only in shoddy-quality Skype calls and goofy Snapchats for the past 6 months.

"Dan!" Immediately, he was up, abandoning the game, and the livestream, in exchange for bolting across the room, flinging himself into Dan's arms.

Their relationship was no secret, not even close, and Ray didn't think twice about kissing Dan, barely touching the ground, as he had to lean up, on his toes, just to make their lips meet. From somewhere behind him, Michael cheered, clapping and whooping. Gavin continued to giggle, covering his mouth with one hand.

"Hi to you too." Dan grinned, wrapping his arms around Ray's waist. "I didn't expect you to be recording." He murmured, laughing as he had to talk between kisses.

"Gavin and Michael were late... Geoff said it was alright." Ray shrugged, motioning to Michael to cut the stream. The man did so, standing near a nearly vibrating Gavin.

"My turn!" As soon as Ray had released Dan, Gavin was leaping at the Brit, hugging him tightly. "B, I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, Gav." Dan chuckled, “I see you’re in good hands, though.”

Michael made a noncommittal noise, giving Dan a hug after Gavin had released him.

“Oh, yes! I’m in GREAT hands. Michael takes excellent care of me!” Gavin grinned.

“Woah, more information than I needed, thanks.” Ray covered his ears, making everyone in the room laugh.

\--

“So, Gav, you said you had something to talk about?” Burnie looks to the Brit.

“Oh, yes, actually!” Gavin straightens, still holding Michael’s hand. They’re on the podcast, now, they’re live, Gavin’s shaking, but he’s trying to keep it together. “It’s actually rather serious.”

“Go for it, then.” Burnie nods.

“Well, I-Not a lot of people know this… But a few months ago… I was… I was raped.” Gavin admits, looking over to Michael, who squeezes his hand. “He-He’d been stalking me, for some time, actually… And he took advantage of me…. I don’t… I DON’T want this to happen to anyone else.” Gavin shook his head. “Rape is one of the MOST common crimes in the United States, maybe even all around the WORLD.

“Now, I’m really not asking for your sympathy by admitting this, so you don’t have to give it to me. I’m sharing my story as a warning, and as a way of letting those of you already affected by this to know that you are NOT alone.

“Always watch your drink at a bar, ALWAYS. Even if you know the bartender, even if you know the person buying it for you. Don’t go to a bar without at least one person knowing which one you plan to be at and when you plan to be home. And if, for some awful awful reason, this DOES happen to you…. You are not alone. Not only am I with you, but thousands of other people are with you. Do not be afraid to call the police. They will do everything they can to help you. You do not have to suffer through this.” Gavin shook his head, continuing.

“I was lucky…. I was so lucky to have Michael here… He helped me in so many ways…” He looks over to his boyfriend, smiling. “And that’s… that’s actually why I-“ Slowly, Gavin stood, brushing down his shirt. “Michael, I know it’s a Monday, you hate Mondays… But I figure… Honestly I figure you’re more likely to say yes if you know people are watching… I didn’t even think to prepare a speech, honestly, so…” He rubs his hair, in a pathetic attempt to flatten it.

Michael looks up at him, confused look in his eyes. Gavin gestures for the man to stand, which Michael obliges, still confused.

“Michael, you and me… We’ve always been a thing, yeah?”

“Since day one, unfortunately.” Michael chuckles.

“Well…” Gavin looks sheepish. “How would you like to be a thing for the rest of our lives?” He pulls the ring box from his pocket, seeing Michael’s eyes become like saucers.

“Wh-Gav, you serious?”

“Serious as a tumour, Micoo.”

“Jesus, fuck, I-I don’t know what to say…”

“You could start with yes, actually…. Before I bloody pass out.”

“Fuck, Gav, yes!” Michael grins, hugging Gavin tightly. People around them begin to cheer, even more so as Gavin puts the ring on Michael’s finger.

“Okay, okay, we’re out of time, so we’ll have to cut this make-out session short.” Burnie laughs, after a few minutes of Michael and Gavin going at it. “Anyone have anything to say?”

“Nothing I say can top that, so no.” Gus shakes his head.

“Er- I’m sorry to detract from my important message with a proposal!” Gavin looks sheepish. “My bad!”

“I only got one thing to say, actually.” Michael looks straight into the camera. “SHIP **_THAT,_** LADIES!”

And with that, the podcast ends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote this in like 10 minutes just to get it done and out there for you guys because you've waited too goddamn long for this.
> 
> THANK YOU SO SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH FOR READING AAAAAH!
> 
> I love you, you're precious and great and I'd like to be friends!  
> Find me on tumblr, on skype, on snapchat, facebook, write me a letter, howl into the night, let me know what you thought, what your headcanons are, your ideas, your ships, tell me about you!
> 
> I'd hug you all if I could afford the plane-fare.
> 
> Until next time! xx -Tyler

**Author's Note:**

> im so sorry for this sin
> 
> lets sin together: trashkingsupreme.tumblr.com


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